BARIPADA: At least 31 students of a government-run residential girls’ high school in Mayurbhanj district reportedly fell ill following a suspected diarrhoea outbreak on Wednesday evening.
The incident was reported from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) at Sargada under Bijatala block. Hostel staff said around 120 students consumed chhatua (roasted gram flour) for breakfast, and rice and curry for lunch as part of their daily routine. Of them, 31 students complained of illness after frequently visiting the washroom.
The hostel warden and matron took the affected students to nearby Bijatala hospital in ambulances for treatment in the evening. Of the 31 affected students, 21 were later shifted to Rairangpur sub-divisional hospital after their condition deteriorated. Sources said one of the 21 students was in critical condition while the others were stable.
On receiving information, parents rushed to the school and accused the hostel authorities of failing to provide proper food and adequate care to the students. Demanding a probe into the incident, they alleged that the chhatua supplier had provided expired food packets to the hostel. The parents claimed that packets of chhatua being served to the students for breakfast did not mention the date of processing.
Later, Bijatala BDO Bansidhar Pusla and block education officer (BEO) Dilip Kumar Nanda reached the hostel and assured the parents that adequate care would be provided to the affected students. The BDO and BEO also visited the hospital and enquired about the condition of the affected students.
Meanwhile, a medical team visited the school hostel and collected samples of the chhatua packets served to the students. The packets, manufactured by Mandakini Best Quality Foods and Spices in Baripada, mentioned only a “best before” period of 45 days. Doctors suspected that the products may have expired.
On Thursday morning, another team from Bijatala hospital collected water and food samples from the hostel for testing to ascertain the cause of the diarrhoea outbreak.
Following the incident, the district administration has instructed authorities of all schools across Mayurbhanj to ensure proper food hygiene and safe drinking water for students.